Fil-Am Sworn In as Mayor of Bergenfield, NJ

Mayor Arvin Amatorio

BERGENFIELD, New Jersey — Filipino community members and various elected officials from surrounding municipalities on Sunday, January 5 packed Bergenfield Borough Hall Council Chambers the swearing-in ceremony of Mayor Arvin Amatorio, a naturalized Filipino America (See Inquirer.net for story).

'Quezon's Game' on PH Holocaust Heroism Opens in US, Canada Theaters

Raymond Bagatsing as President Manuel L. Quezon

Hailed during its multi-award-winning international festival run and successful theatrical release in the Philippines, critically acclaimed film “Quezon’s Game” will begin its U.S. and Canada theatrical rollout January 24 and 31 respectively (See Inquirer.net for story).

British Columbia's New Year Baby Is Filipino

The Tabuadas and their newly-born baby (Source: Twitter)

Claire Tabuada’s C-section surgery began at around 11:55 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and her baby was born a minute after midnight. That meant healthy baby girl Tabuada was British Columbia’s first baby of 2020. She weighed in at 4 lbs, 10 oz. (See Inquirer.net for story).

Pinay Scientist Winds 1st Int'l Metrology Award for PH

Dr. Benilda S. Ebarvia (Source: Manila Bulletin/Photo courtesy of RRUDela Cruz via Dhel Nazario)

Dr. Benilda S. Ebarvia, a Filipina scientist from the Metrology in Chemistry (MiC) Laboratory of the National Metrology Laboratory (NML-ITDI) won the 2019 Developing Economies National Metrology Institute (DEN) Award, making her the first Filipino recipient of the accolade (See Manila Bulletin for story).

Fil-Am Teen Sets Alaska Weightlifting Record

Jaredval Caguiat (Photo by Dustin Safranek/Ketchikan Daily News via AP)

Jaredval Caguiat, just a month removed from his 17th birthday, had just achieved a feat at the 19th Annual Ketchikan Winter Powerlifting Competition on December 7 that no one his age in the state had done before (See Inquirer.net for story).

Fil-Am Founded Care.com Bought for $500M By Media Giant IAC

Care.com founder Sheila Lirio Marcelo

Filipina American-founded Care.com, the world’s largest online marketplace for finding and managing family care, will be acquired by American-holding company IAC for $500 million. Care.com was founded by Sheila Lirio Marcelo in 2007 (See Inquirer.net for story).

UP Scientist Named Among World's Top 100

Mahar Lagmay (Photo from Mahar Lagmay)

University of the Philippines disaster scientist Mahar Lagmay has been named among the Top 100 Scientists on Twitter by Finster Data, the only Filipino to make it to the list (See GoodNewsPilipinas.com for story).

Fil-Am Boy Is U.S. Nat’l Cursive Writing Champ

Edbert Aquino

A Fil-Am fifth grader in New Jersey is the national cursive writing champion of the United States. Edbert Aquino, 10, took home last year’s national trophy, $500 and bragging rights for his Roman Catholic elementary school in Bergen County (See New York Times for story).